The Call
by Fraya Morningside
Summary: A visit from Circle Daybreak and a shadier character...
1. Cold

The Call And The Cold  
  
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own any of L.J. Smith's wonderful characters or any of her other creative imaginings.  
  
Author's Note: I never got reviews for my last fic and was hesitant to release this one, but alas here I am again, same old same old. If you could I would really appreciate a review, suggestion, comment or two. I can't make it better if you as the reader don't tell me how. Happy reading.  
  
Chapter One: A Cold Beginning  
  
It was cold outside. November was a bitch. Ice storms and frigid temperatures were all the wretched month had to offer besides Thanksgiving holiday. And he had no taste for turkey. Outside his small shoreline hotel window a winter wind blew across the patio hard and relentlessly. Inside the hollow room the threadbare curtains rustled in the strong breeze. Yep, this was not the day to go outside. It was freezing, blustery, and the twitty local weatherman even hinted at the possibility of an ice storm. What the hell did he know anyway, weathermen were never correct?  
  
Ash didn't give a damn, it was Boston not LA.  
  
He contemplated going out to catch a movie or find a club where he could get lost in the crowd. Today was not the day he really wanted to think too much about. In fact the less thinking he did the better he was sure to feel. After weighing the odds, Ash decided to go club hopping. A quick stint in the shower and he was almost ready to go. Crossing the room toward the Spartan bed he picked up the outfit he had laid out earlier and proceeded to put it on. The shirt was a little loose and the pants an inch or so too long. But he knew no one would care much about his clothing. A look in the mirror validated that thought. He wasn't ruggedly handsome or classically attractive in the Byronesque fashion but definitely a heart stopper. Ash flashed a sharp-toothed smile at his reflection, his expression a blend of sensuality and arrogance. His hair was a mess though. He grabbed the nearly toothless comb from the vanity connected to the mirror itself and combed his wet hair back so it wouldn't drip in his face. He hated that.  
  
The shower had felt nice; it relaxed the tension from last night and gave him much needed time to think about the way things were going.  
  
It would be a year, give or take a few days, by the end of the month. Twelve months since they had last talked face to face. Three hundred and sixty five days since they had parted. Three hundred and sixty five times twenty-four. Ash gave up on that trail of thought, in his head it sounded romantic but he didn't want to actually write down his math. The numbers that would be on the paper wouldn't disappear as rapidly as those in his mind. And besides what was the satisfaction he would accomplish by reminiscing? Why not get out of this dim apartment and scope out some of the brighter side of life?  
  
A wave of restlessness inundated his senses forcing him to plop down on the bed in a way that sent the bedsprings creaking and the comforter rising and falling from the mattress. His arms outstretched over the sides of the odorous bed Ash reached for some sense of calm to fill him, to patch up the holes that were eating away at his heart his sense of focus.  
  
He missed her.  
  
Damned! But he missed her. One year. A year of hard work, optimism, and the desire to better himself--prove his worth. All for nothing. Circle daybreak. Kindness, compassion, honesty. That light at the end of the tunnel, her voice, guiding him through one of the hardest periods in his life. All of the above went against the grain. The grain of what had been Ash. But not anymore. That pathetic boy who took everything for granted was now the lovesick man moaning over the foolishness of that boy. Now he was starting to sound like some bad nineteenth century poet. He grunted in self-disgust.  
  
Ash rolled his head in an angle that mismatched the position of his body, his wrinkled forehead nudging his shoulder. For the first time in his life Ash felt alive. The past year with that spark of hope for the future, a future with her had filled in that part of him that had been killed somewhere along during his childhood. Now that sensation of completeness was gone. Duh. That was what soul mates were all about. Love and tomorrow.  
  
She was gone now. Lost love and yesterday. So much for going out tonight it seemed that his only companion in this crappy hotel room was going to be nostalgia.  
  
No.  
  
Ash leapt to his feet with all the grace and stealth of his ancestors a feral smile on his face. He didn't need her. Her call today. Her soothing voice. Loving---  
  
No.  
  
Ash raked his fingers through his halfway dried hair, and made a swipe at the keys thrown haphazardly onto the marred nightstand next to the telephone. He was going out. Cold or no.  
  
Ash left the room with a slam of the rickety door unaware that the cold inside was the only kind that could penetrate the skin of a vampire.  
  
* * "You know I really hate high school. I really do. I mean when else in your life are you so eager to be younger and older at the same time? It's like a Twilight Zone kind of paradox you know? Which leads me to the conclusion that high school is indeed completely pointless. Nobody remembers anything from the age of 14 through 18 except the 'might-have- been' and that popular girl who appeared on nearly every page of last year's class yearbook! Ugh. I don't know, I'm sorry I just get so mad sometimes," Darcy Merrington was short but forever sprouting one opinion or another.  
  
Darcy had Advanced Chemistry with Mary Lynette fourth period. The duo sat in the back of the room at the table with the yellow gum stuck under it and the obscene language dashed by a bored or courageous student years ago. There science teacher knew so much about chemistry but delivered hardly any of it to her class (because as the students put it she was so old she was at the founding of scientific thought) and so the girls did little other than gab about the first things that came to mind.  
  
"That's okay. I guess I can see where you are coming from but I don't really think the same thing. I have my telescope and my friends and family. If I don't see my picture garishly slapped onto every page of the yearbook I think I can survive," Mary Lynette directed her dark eyes towards her friend. They were wise eyes and just now sad. Darcy saw the sorrow and jumped on it like a vulture on a newly dead carcass.  
  
"What is wrong, tell me now! You didn't get into a fight with Erin again now did you? That girl can be so-" Darcy automatically sided with her friend regardless of the fact that she really didn't know the reason for Mary Lynette's downtrodden expression.  
  
"It's not Erin at all. And I don't think you should say anything more about her. Don't you remember the help she gave you for geometry through those after school tutorials? No, that is definitely not why I-" Mary Lynette this time was interrupted by the teacher who, if her face was any indication was, back from her trip down memory lane and the Precambrian era.  
  
"No talking in class unless you have something to share with us Mara Lynn," the teacher scolded taking no care to perfect her pupil's name. She continued on with the droning lesson.  
  
Mary Lynette gazed next to her, over towards her friend. 'After school' she mouthed and opened her two thousand page Chemistry textbook.  
  
P. 347 "Chemistry is the." The words on the page blurred as the memory of last night's telephone conversation replayed through her thoughts. A chill passed down her spine as she recalled some of the things she had said and left unsaid. She felt empty and alone even though she was surrounded by twenty odd something students her own age. The air in the chemistry lab was always warm but right now she wished she had a sweater or jacket to drape over her shoulders. She felt so cold, inside and out. 


	2. Advice From A Friend

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except Darcy. L.J. Smith is the rightful owner of: Quinn, Ash, Mary Lynette, Rashel, Rowan, Kestrel, Jade, etc.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks everyone for reviewing my fic, I love you all! Happy reading!  
  
The Call Chapter Two: Advice From A Friend  
  
"Ash, you look like hell," Quinn offered his sympathy in a style all his own.  
  
With a slap on Ash's back Quinn flounced onto the bed, a smile quirking his lips up at the corners. There was just something about seeing his friend, who was normally so together, falling to pieces over something as simple as love. Never mind the fact that if he ever had to experience the same thing he probably wouldn't take it nearly as well. He thought of Rashel and all of the strength and support she yielded so openly to him and then tried from there to conjure up a mental sketch of this Mary Lynette character. She had to be strong and patient to put up with this idiot Quinn mused. No doubt she was pretty and undoubtedly had a cynical sense of humor if she stood any chance with his hardheaded friend.  
  
It was Thursday morning and the sky outside the rundown room was bright and clear. Ash sat, slumped in a frumpy chair angled next to a beat up desk where an open book laid promising solace. Across the room the hotel's only modern convenience rambled on in a monotone voice. Just then Ash remembered how much he hated television. He hated everything right now.  
  
"Is that all? And here I thought that you were going to say something mean," Ash sneered but his tone was missing that cutthroat edge it normally held.  
  
"Well, okay then if you say so. Here goes---you look horrible. You need, I think, to take some time out for Ash. If you want to get her back stop thinking the way you always do when you want something," the humor Quinn's voice had contained seconds ago had vanished and the need to patch up his friend's love life took its place.  
  
"And how is that?"  
  
"Like you know for sure you're going to win her over like some hero in a comic book. Those things impress girls, but if you want a woman you need to giver her something real to believe in, to want, to hunt. I'm not sure that made sense. Here, simple, be yourself. Relax and do the things that feel right to you. Don't let this Mary Lynette control you and how you think. You want her to love you and come after you right?"  
  
A nod.  
  
"Okay then, you need to be your own man, not some trained pet. Be Ash, it's as simple as that," Quinn nodded his own head as if to conclude the discussion.  
  
"I'm not really sure who I am anymore," Ash dejectedly complained.  
  
Ash rose and looked at his mirror self. The Ash looking back at him had the same eyes but he wasn't sure what laid behind them. How was he supposed to win anyone back without understanding himself?  
  
"Will you stop sounding so whimpy! Where is the weird, twisted sense of humor? The careless attitude? The cocky grin? You need to stop this lovesick shit because you are starting to stink up everybody around you!" Too late Quinn realized the irony in what he was saying but decided to ignore it.  
  
"Yeah, you are right as you always think you are. I guess I could try to be a little more like myself. It is just that sometimes I-I guess I just want to bang my head against something hard to clear it! I'm not very good at this whole emotional thing and right now I am swimming in feelings! I suppose that I do sound pretty dumb lately. Thanks for the advice even if you are a no account jackass," Ash smiled a real smile for the first time in days.  
  
* * *  
  
Darcy was gone. She had left for North Carolina State University last week and wouldn't be back to visit until Spring Break. With a pain in her heart she realized that she was really going to miss her.  
  
The town was asleep, everyone tucked neatly into their beds. The grass below her feet crumpled and the air around her clouded. November was such a pretty month. Above her the sky twinkled with stars like a sheen of diamonds.  
  
College was coming back into session and she was going to have to leave her hometown for a busy campus soon. Mary Lynette had chosen the university for its low student population but even on the best of days she felt choked and crowded among strangers. Not like when she was home.  
  
She had her brother and parents. A nice house to relax in, where she could sleep in until noon or shave her legs in the bathtub after dinner. That family now included three new sisters: Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade. The four of them together were a sight to behold. Remembering some of the better, more legal, things they had done brought a flush and a smile to her face. She had her other friends from last year and new ones this year, but something was missing.  
  
"I'm sorry Ash. I truly am. But I-I just can't do this! This isn't some romantic fairy tale you know. There is no guaranteed happy ending. You need to grow up! You want me to come away with you. Come away with you where? Didn't you say that the whole night world would hunt me down if we were together? What about that? Wh-What you are asking of me is unreasonable. Neither one of us is secure enough to embark on something this big together. I have dreams, goals. One of which is to marry and have kids but not right now. Could we even have children? What would happen to them? There are too many questions that you can't answer," Mary Lynette had begun her tirade with power and strength but the sound of her voice decrescendoed to a pitiful sob. She recalled placing down the receiver in response to his silence.  
  
Even now it brought tears to her eyes. The words were meant to hurt and yet somehow she hoped that they might end the pain. Only the former had happened. She hadn't left with her soul mate, now she was bonded to a school she didn't care about and a dream she was no longer interested in.  
  
"I thought that I might find you out here," it was freezing outside but Rowan Redfern climbed the hill without even a sweater on.  
  
Rowan's pale skin eerily glowed in the moonlight, her hair a shiny swirl of shadow. She had always been closest to Mary Lynette they were so alike in many ways.  
  
"Am I that predictable," Mary Lynette gave an un-ladylike snort.  
  
"No, but sisters always know these types of things. I figured you could use a friend and some hot cocoa," Rowan held up her hands, a steaming mug in each.  
  
"I just watched you coming up and didn't even notice that you had anything in your hands. Am I that out of it?" a strained smile stretched her face.  
  
Both girls laughed and settled down next to each other on the frigid earth. A shiver ran down Mary Lynette's back.  
  
"The stars look pretty amazing tonight, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, they do. There is just something about the cold that makes the stars look so crystalline. It is times like this that I really miss having my telescope packed up in my dorm," Mary Lynette gave a small shrug and resigned herself to enjoying the warm atmosphere in contrast with the low temperatures.  
  
"You are so strong. Look at you. I really admire how you handled the situation with Ash. You made him grow up and I think that he needed that. You can't do everything you know. You know what your capable of and what you want and you seem to know the same of Ash. I-" Rowan was interrupted.  
  
"I thought that love was supposed to flood your sense and make you wild with no inhibitions. How can I be sure this is love if I try to apply logic and reason to it all of the time?" Mary Lynette rested her tear- streaked face on the other girl's shoulder.  
  
"I don't know, but I think we might just find out. Find out soon," Rowan rested her head on Mary Lynette's. A circle of love and friendship. 


	3. Cooling Bread and Dancing Lights

Disclaimer: I don't own L.J. Smith's "Night World series" or its characters. I didn't write "Like a Virgin," and I have only played DDR- never invented it!  
  
Author's Notes: Thanks to all of my reviewers! This one is for you! It is Friday and I now have thirteen reviews-cool huh? I promise to get to the plot soon; it is just so fun to write about all of the sadness that comes before or after!  
  
Music had a way of sneaking up on you. The haunting rhythm, the fluent tingle down the spine. The chilling notes stirred like ghosts behind the eyes resurrecting inane imaginings and unbearable heartbreak. Music could be dolce and gentle like a halcyon summer day. Today was no such day. Beethoven. Strong, dashing and somehow sad.  
  
Mary Lynnette had a taste for Beethoven this night. "Moonlight Sonata," in the hours of darkness without a moon and a coming dawn holding little light. The throbbing beat of the piano forced tears out of her eyes. She set down the book she had been reading. Emily Bronte this time. The innocent romance and ironic structure of the novel did nothing to quell the tender pangs shooting through her heart. Or what was left of it.  
  
She had cried her eyes out repeatedly over the course of two months; time made it hard to look back on the past events. But she had to. She had to make this pathetic emotional pain stop. Mary Lynette reasoned that this had to be some sort of lesson in growing up but in the back of her mind she knew better. Love wasn't a lesson; it was the instruction. She had failed the test. As circumstance stood there would be no re-examination.  
  
* * *  
  
September was blustery. This autumn month the time when schoolbooks were dusted -boots and jackets pulled out of their hibernation in the summer closet. Mary Lynette enjoyed the bite of the cold air on her skin, the whirling of leaves along the sidewalk, the rustle of the wind through her tangled hair. Lately she had to brush out her dark locks at least four times a day, but it was worth it.  
  
"Are you coming over this afternoon? You know, a last girl get-together before you leave for the university? It wouldn't be right if we didn't at least go to the movies or something before you pack up and leave this boomtown," Jade called out of the car window.  
  
The automobile was barely gliding down the one lane road but no one else was on the street to complain. In the backseat of the ancient car the nearly identical grins of Rowan and Kestrel encouraged her to accept.  
  
"I don't know, I thought I should go home first and make sure I packed everything. You know what a worrier I am." Mary Lynette trailed off. She knew that her argument was weak. She knew that, even without their supernatural abilities, the Redfern sisters saw through her feeble excuse, but hoped they wouldn't call her on it.  
  
"Your going home isn't going to force him to call you any sooner than if you were over at our house. In fact, he might even call our house first- being family and all. Plus, you will have loads more fun with us. We could bring Mark and force him to sing karaoke again, remember the last time? I don't think I will ever forget that constipated look on his face as he tried to recite the lyrics to "Like a Virgin"! Tell me that you honestly don't want to leave home with a memory like that fresh on your mind," Jade smiled in a way that forced even the exasperated Mary Lynette to smile back.  
  
"Okay that settles it, get in," Kestrel threw open the squeaky car door and stretched out a hand of invitation. Rowan sat next to her sister motioning with her slender fingers.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe I should just go home and check one more time. I'll stop by in an hour or so," Mary Lynette turned away from her blood sisters feeling guilty and frustrated all at once.  
  
"Ash wouldn't want you to be so agitated over this," Kestrel shouted after the retreating back of Mary Lynette.  
  
She stopped walking, turned back to face her friends like a duelist at dawn.  
  
"Who said anything about Ash?"  
  
"Please! We know you miss him. We want you two to work out, but you need to stop worrying. Come on, you don't have any choice, you are now being abducted by evil vampires," Kestrel darted towards Mary Lynette and snagged her around the forearm.  
  
Over Kestrel's shoulder where she was slung, Mary Lynette laughed for the first time in a week.  
  
"You could have just asked."  
  
* * *  
  
"Come on Mary Lynette, you are the only one who hasn't tried the game," Jade dragged Mary Lynette with inhuman strength.  
  
The television was awash with bright flashing lights and a strain of upbeat music that permeated the ceiling rafters. A pink, white, and blue dance pad slathered with huge directional arrows lay positioned directly in front of the TV screen.  
  
"You can do it, just try. Even Kestrel got the hang of it, that should tell you something," Jade smiled at her own comment unaware of the malevolent scowl her sister was currently bestowing upon her.  
  
"What is this thing anyway?" Mary Lynette couldn't resist asking.  
  
Whoever had invented something this zany game probably had something wrong with his head.  
  
"It's called Dance, Dance Revolution, but we call it DDR. The kid at the arcade told me that it was really popular nowadays. I asked him if he knew where I could find one and he offered to loan me his. I think he likes me; to bad he had more zits than personality. Oh, well. The game is pretty cool though, huh?" Jade Redfern, was a sight to behold when she was pleased with herself, she seemed to glow.  
  
"Okay. So what exactly do I have to do?"  
  
"Well, first you take off your socks. Then place both feet in the center circle, like that. Then select the song, like this. Uh-huh, and push start. Okay, now all that you have to do is hit the arrow that corresponds to the one on the screen, it's simple really," Jade stepped back as the song began.  
  
"Hey little bumble bee, I know what you want from me. My heart goes boom, boom, boom you go zoom, zoom, zoom. come and rescue me."  
  
The arrows and beats flashed on and off screen leaving Mary Lynette hurrying in a mad rush to keep up. The game was harder than it looked. By the time the song had ended she was exhausted and the grade "C" didn't help.  
  
"It is okay Mary Lynette. You can try again later. Come on and cool down. Why don't you get a glass of water out of the kitchen and sit down here with me and relax. I've tried that horrible game four times already and don't plan to go again for five," Rowan nudged Mary Lynette towards the kitchen.  
  
All three Redfern sisters sat reclined on the couch, so alike and yet so different. Rowan was dark, chocolate hair and eyes. The intensity had washed out by the third sister who was as light as Rowan was dark. Jade inclined her head back towards the entrance to the kitchen and listened to the refrigerator door open.  
  
"I'm really concerned about her," Jade began.  
  
"Me too," both Rowan and Kestrel said simultaneously.  
  
"What do you think is going to happen?"  
  
"I don't know," Mary Lynette, answered Jade's question, "I suspect that Ash will waltz back into town and ask me to run away with him or something like that. It should be every girl's dream, but I just can't find anything wonderful about it."  
  
"Don't worry. Whether or not you decide to peruse a relationship with our harebrained brother, we still love you like a sister. If you need anything don't hesitate to come over and talk. We promise to always listen," Rowan grinned but there was sadness in her gaze.  
  
"I know. I really love you guys. I never thought I would be able to say something like that to a bunch of girls but I really am glad you decided to come and terrorize our town," Mary Lynette sipped a glass of her water.  
  
A group hug ensued. Sensitive Rowan, mischievous Jade, fierce Kestrel, and kind Mary Lynette all stood together in a tight hug, tears in their eyes. Water splashed on to the dance mat forgotten.  
  
"Are we sappy or what?" Jade giggled.  
  
"What," Kestrel's typical no nonsense reply was weakened by the wetness running down her cheeks. If she had seen herself she would have blushed.  
  
* * *  
  
Ring-  
  
Ring-  
  
"Hey, Mary Lynette could you get that? The oven timer is buzzing and if we want the rolls to turn out I have to watch them so they don't burn. Kestrel is out back and-"  
  
Ring-  
  
"Okay, okay you don't have to give me all of the details. I don't mind. It could be him," Mary Lynette reached for the receiver.  
  
From her seat at the oak kitchen table, Rowan smiled at the biscuits already cooling in the breadbasket.  
  
"I love you," a husky voice whispered out of the earpiece.  
  
"Excuse me, but I think you have the wrong number," Mary Lynette informed the caller.  
  
"Aren't you Mary Lynette? Come now, you can't have forgotten the pleasing tone of my voice have you now love?"  
  
"Ash? How are you? Where are you? I-" Mary Lynette inundated the receiver with questions.  
  
"Excited to hear me love? Nice to hear you too. I happen to be just inside the airport. My flight, 674, is scheduled for six o'clock this morning, Eastern Time that is," Ash informed with joy vibrating in his voice.  
  
" This soon? Oh, that is great but I think we have a lot to talk about before we just jump to action. I have mixed feelings still, and I-"  
  
"Will you stop troubling over it. We can work it out. That's the kind of things soulmates do. Trust me. I have been around quite a few over the last year. I can't wait to introduce you. You'll love them, they'll love you," his voice rushed on in an excited babble. In the background a shout echoed for a particular flight.  
  
"Sorry Mary Lynnette, I have to go, they're calling my flight. I'll see you soon. We'll look at the stars together and I can tell you all of the good things I have done, will do. Tell my sisters to pick me up at the airport, I-I love you, we will make this work," Ash stated.  
  
"Ash-I don't think this is such a-"  
  
"I have to go-," and the conversation ended.  
  
A dial tone filled her ear adding to the confusion already jumbling her thoughts. They would work it out. Wouldn't they? 


	4. Reunion

Disclaimer: I don't own the Nightworld, however much I might wish otherwise.  
  
Author's Note: This chapter is kinda short, I got a little bit lazy and this is what came out of my head. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter, I promise this story will pick up soon. The next chapter is Mary Lynette and Ash goodness.  
  
"Who was on the phone, Mary Lynette?" Rowan's head poked over the rim of the kitchen doorframe, her face the image of innocence.  
  
"As if you didn't know. It was Ash of course. He'll be here soon."  
  
"I expected as much. But why do you look so unsure? Ash is your soulmate isn't he? Shouldn't you be happy he's coming back? The Ash I knew from the past wouldn't have looked back much less tried to mend his ways for anybody and here he is, back from a quest to prove and better himself for you Mary Lynette, nobody else, and you aren't celebrating? At first I thought you were having the senior in high school insecurities, but now that that is over and done with I'm not so sure, tell me what's wrong," Rowan settled on the dusty couch next to her. A cloud of particles clouded the air between them but the concern on Rowan's face was plain to see.  
  
"It's not that I don't want to see him. I love him, in a weird sort of way, I really do. I can't imagine having what I have with Ash with anybody else. He loves me for me and I really value that, but at the same time.I have to find out who I really am before I go off and become a half to a bigger whole! How can I be what Ash needs if I can't even figure out what I need? I'm not entirely comfortable with this Nightworld thing either. It's easy to say that I believe and live with it on a small scale here with you and your sisters, but is there really a place for me out there? I have so many questions about this whole, running off with Ash like he's some sort of night in shining armor. Oh, that was a bad pun wasn't it?" Mary Lynette grimaced a half smile.  
  
"I can see where you're coming from. I never really had to worry about the Nightworld or anything, I just was part of it, and so I can sympathize somewhat. I'm sure you have a lot of questions and problems to discuss about the subject, but maybe you should have this talk with Ash. Face to face. Mary Lynette, you need to sit down with him and tell him your feelings. You can't put off something like this, something this important. We're talking about soulmate kind of love, once in a lifetime and all that. How would you feel being locked in the dark trying to search for the lightswitch without any helping hand?" Rowan nudged Mary Lynette's chin with her fist.  
  
"I'm not sure exactly what you meant by that, but I have a vague idea. I'll try to talk to Ash about this when he arrives. Just promise me that you'll be there in case anything goes awry," Mary Lynette reached for Rowan's cool hand and tucked it in her own warm one.  
  
"Of course, what are sisters for?" Rowan gently squeezed.  
  
* * * "Wow, Kestrel you've grown even uglier since I last saw you. Ever consider smiling?" Ash pestered his sister.  
  
"How about I give you another grin to match that stupid one consuming your entire face, right across your throat. I think I have a nice sharp wood-"  
  
"Okay, okay you two. Not in public! Goddess, can't you two get along for five minutes? Ash, here you are barely off the plane and already stirring trouble. Why did I even bother to come pick you up? I should have left you here and let you walk home at least then I would have an extra hour or so of peace!" Rowan parted the scowling Kestrel from the gamine faced Ash and bestowed to her roguish brother a warm and familiar hug.  
  
"I missed you too Rowan, but since when did you become the boss of the family. Last time I checked I was in charge," Ash returned the embrace.  
  
"Who's driving you home?"  
  
"Point taken. Jade, come here and give your big ol' brother a big ol' bear hug!" Ash pulled away from Rowan and turned to a distant Jade who tried to remain somewhat invisible staring at a potted plant outside the terminal.  
  
"Bite me," Jade sneered. She couldn't explain it, but she didn't want Ash back. Mary Lynette and her sisters made such a good and whole family, why did Ash have to come back now and ruin everything, especially when it was just getting good?  
  
"With pleasure, but you're not my type. Hey, where is Mary Lynn?" Ash seized the first opportunity to point out his soulmate's absence.  
  
"It's Mary Lynette, you dolt, and she had some last minute cleaning to do before you arrived," Jade jabbed Ash in the ribs.  
  
"Oh, how sweet. The little woman preparing the homestead," Ash smiled and rubbed is smarting side.  
  
"Don't let it go to your head," Jade chided.  
  
"Or any other upright appendages," Kestrel added.  
  
"Kestrel!" all three Redfern siblings shouted in unison.  
  
The clerks at the desk gazed at one another in puzzlement. That was one weird family. As the Redferns walked off toward the pick-up trolley for the luggage and out the door the airport attendants gave a sigh of relief. 


	5. TickTock

Disclaimer: I don't own Nightworld, L.J. Smith does. Author's Note: Thanks to all who reviewed, sorry this is taking me so long to complete. I would like to dedicate this chapter to practikalmagik, who sent so many kind reviews and to Rashel and Reisi who archived me as one of their favorite authors, I am so flattered! Thanks!  
  
* * * On most days Mary Lynette was what one might call pretty. She was slender and dark and her face emanated calm and will. Today wasn't one of those days.  
  
Her face was blotchy and dirty (grease stains are hard to remove) the rest of her features were marred by frustration. From her crouch on the kitchen tiles Mary Lynette swiped back a couple of loose snarls of hair. This was not how she wanted to meet Ash. She needed all of her wits about her when she finally confronted him and that meant clean clothes and a shower.  
  
The clock on the wall next to the microwave flashed the time to be 3:28. Good, she thought, just enough time to get home and make herself presentable before they got arrived.  
  
Mary Lynette jerked the junk drawer out and rifled through the odds and ends it contained. Finding a pen and a scrap of paper she scrawled a note telling the Redferns that she planned to go home and clean up and that they shouldn't worry about waiting up for her if they had any plans themselves.  
  
* * * "What's taking her so long?" Ash moaned in typical Ash-fashion. Folding and un-folding the piece of paper in his lap, Ash tried to worry about Mary Lynette while maintaining his "cool-ness."  
  
"Stop whining you'll ruin your image. You've asked the same question for the last half an hour! You read the note yourself, she said she would be over soon, so stop worrying. The message is timed at 3:30 or around there, it's only 4:45, give her some time! I personally don't know how Mary Lynette can stand to be around you for an hour much less as a soulmate!" Kestrel sneered, but there was a hint of laughter in her voice.  
  
"She must be really excited to see me. I can see it now, her propped in front of a vanity, curls in her hair-wearing the perfect dress while trying to apply the right amount of make-up to still my heart. Oh, how she loves me," Ash rolled his eyes in accompaniment to his dramatic interpretation of Mary Lynette's getting ready.  
  
"Hold on lover boy, it always takes Mary Lynette this long to get ready, especially when she's avoiding something as vile as you," Kestrel poked fun at Ash for the millionth since his arrival.  
  
"I thank Goddess that Mary Lynette wasn't there for the um, eventful ride home from the airport. Did any of you happen to glance at the attendants, oh, I felt so sorry for them. You three really are horrible whenever you come together," Rowan chided.  
  
"You really suck the life out of every occasion," Ash joked, and threw back his head when he realized the dual meaning behind his words.  
  
"Wow, Ash you're really punny. Maybe you should show that side of yourself to Mary Lynette. What you lack in brains and brawn you seem to make up in humor," Kestrel derided her brother.  
  
"Don't be so sarcastic Kestrel, you'll give him a false sense of hope," Rowan mock-warned.  
  
Everyone else in the room went silent, Rowan never took sides. Circumstances pointed to this trip as first in many things.  
  
* * * Mary Lynette spun a tight circle, the billowy dress floated around her ankles like a wave on the sea.  
  
"How about this one?" Mary Lynette asked her brother's reflection in the mirror.  
  
"I think that it looks nice, just like all of the other outfits," Mark sighed. He was having a hard time dealing with Mary Lynette's insecurities of late. Having her not around at home anymore and then the rest of the time her emotional distance made the brother-sister bond difficult to uphold. However, it was good to have the old Mary Lynette, smiling and in her old room with some of that old spirit.  
  
"Are you sure? You don't think it looks like I've tried to hard do you? I don't want to give Ash the impression that I am desperate or anything, because I'm not. Maybe I should change back into my jeans. What do you think? Mark, I'm sorry to keep bother you, but could you unzip me?" Mary Lynette turned her back to Mark and lifted her long hair so as not to snag it in the finicky zipper.  
  
"No. I don't think you should change anymore. I think you look fine just the way you are, stop fretting. Ash doesn't care what you wear or don't wear," Mark grabbed hold of the jeans in question and nudged his older sister away from him.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean," Mary Lynette said on raised eyebrows, hands on hips.  
  
"Nothing sexual, only that I don't think Ash is all that concerned with how you look. Ash loves you- not what clothes you happen to be wearing," Mark smiled and rose from his seat to leave, "whatever you choose to wear will be fine, if you like it and if it makes you feel comfortable. Look at Jade and me, we're soulmates, but do you see us worrying over fashion. Being soulmates is beyond the material; it goes beyond anything that we can understand. I wish I could show you that. I'm starting to sound like Yoda aren't I? Oh, well, I've gotta go. Promised to help with dinner. Good luck whatever you wear I'm sure you will look beautiful to Ash."  
  
Mary Lynette stared at the indent on the bed where her brother had just sat. Mark was wiser, and taller than a year ago, funny that he almost sounded more mature than even she did. On the nightstand the alarm clock blinked 6:00. She crossed the room, jerked the phone off the receiver and dialed.  
  
"Ash? Oh, sorry Jade, can I talk to your brother? Well, he is there isn't he? No, I'm not feeling so well- don't think I can come over tonight, but I wanted to say hi to Ash before I turn in. Six O'clock, yeah, I know. I guess I must have inhaled too much dust. Well, just cause you are vampires doesn't mean you can't tidy up the house! Are you gonna put Ash on or what?" in agitation and guilty Mary Lynette switched the phone to the other ear, "Hi, Ash I don't think I will be able to make it over."  
  
* * * The tinny sound of the doorbell ringing downstairs caused Mary Lynette to set down her book and suck in her breath. Below, she could hear the door open and her brother's low voice conversing with another.  
  
Mary Lynette leaped from her desk chair, quickly flipped the light switch, and flung herself headfirst at her bed. In under two seconds she was tucked under the covers with her eyelids sealed shut, a very convincing simulation of sleep if she were to say so herself. The only noise that gave her true condition away was the reverberating thumps of her heartbeat.  
  
Calm down, she thought. Just because somebody had come to visit did not necessarily mean that the visitor was for her. It could be one of Mark's or her dad's friend, she tried to reason against her nervous mind. That was when she heard the gentle tread of footsteps heading towards her room. She pulled the bedspread higher as her eyes popped open, no point to pretend she was asleep. She wouldn't have been able to pull it off anyway, not with a psychic vampire like Ash in the house. Her face must have been pale, paler than the moon outside her window, but the light of the electronic clock sporting 8:00, lent her ghoulish profile a garish tint.  
  
The unnerving rattle of the handle made for a dramatic entrance, at least as far as Ash was concerned. The hallway light behind him, framed Ash in his silhouette like the aura of some sinister angel. An angel from hell. The demon she loved. And couldn't.  
  
"Why did you lie to me Mary Lynette? Mark told me all about this ploy when I first came in. Why would you lie to me about something this simple? All you had to was call and say, ' Ash, I don't want to see you,' and I promise you I wouldn't have even come over here. As it was I was really worried about you. I don't have much experience being ill myself, but you are special- you're like part of me. I was afraid you really were sick and that you were worried you might get us sick- and then I realized that you knew that being sick wouldn't affect me or my sisters, so there really wouldn't have been any harm in your coming over. Then I thought, maybe she needs her sleep, but then I noticed your bedroom light on. I came here to investigate- I think I caught the crook red handed. I just can't figure out the motive. Why didn't you want to see me?" Ash asked, his face expressed his feelings of insult and victimization- in an exaggerated depiction of hurt.  
  
"Would you please turn on the light? My eyes hurt looking at you. And this thing," she began with her hands outstretched as if to protect herself, "it's not like what you think."  
  
"Then what is it?! Are you not ready for us? Is that it?" Ash calmly asked. It bothered her how confident he seemed regarding a subject that she was not so sure about.  
  
"No-yes. I don't know. I can't explain. It's- complicated."  
  
"Mary Lynette, I live in a world where vampires, witches, shape-shifters, and werewolves exist; I think that I can handle complicated. If not, I'll try," Ash shot back, one eyebrow angled as if in challenge.  
  
She planned to give him a run for his money. 


	6. Muffins

Author's Note: Kinda short, but I plan to extend this one later, too tired now though.Thanks again to all who reviewed my last chapter!  
  
There was something about waking up at five o'clock on a Saturday morning content and rejuvenated after a long night that gave a hint of love. If the mere fact that Mary Lynette was up this early on a 'sleep-in' day wasn't enough proof of her happiness, then the radiant glow that encircled here was a dead giveaway. She planned to get up, take a shower, grab a granola bar and head over next door. Ash said he had some important matter to discuss with her, the millennium, or something.  
  
Ever since the two of them had hashed out their problems that night, sitting on her flowered mattress, there had been a drastic change in the way in which things were progressing. A good change. Warm kisses, cuddling, hugs, Kestrel mock-vomiting.a good change indeed.  
  
"Mary Lynette, honey? Mary Lyne-," Mr. Carter called from the bottom of the stairwell. He was wrapped in a frumpy robe and his hair was mussed from sleep. Around his eyes were a circles of read and in his hand he held the coffee cup she and her brother had given him for father's day back in the sixth grade, "#1 Dad." He looked so bedraggled and she was so full of good will that she practically leapt down the stairs that remained between them and planted a sloppy kiss dead center on his whiskery cheek.  
  
"What's gotten into you lately? Where is my melancholy Mary Lynette? I have to admit though that I do like to see you in such a happy disposition. This change of attitude wouldn't have anything to do with that boy who has just about moved in, now would it?" And although his eyebrows were cocked and his brow wrinkled it was obvious that he was only feigning anger.  
  
"Why daddy are you accusing me of something?" Mary Lynette jabbed him in the ribs and pulled the yesterday's newspaper out of her father's robe pocket. She threw the paper down on the oak kitchen table and plopped down to read funnies.  
  
"Do you want to make pancakes? We haven't made pancakes together since you were seven, or six, or something. Well, everyone's asleep seems the perfect time to me, what do ya say?" Her father had pulled a spatula out of the kitchen drawer and was waving it madly through the air like a symphony conductor trying to find the beat.  
  
"Love to, but I really can't. I promised Rowan I would be over to help make blueberry muffins. We plan to take them over to the senior citizen's home, remember, I told you about it last night after dinner. So I think I'll just grab a banana or something and go," Doing just that Mary Lynette pulled her coat off the rack next to the kitchen door and braced herself for the cold dawn outside.  
  
"Kids, they just grow up too damn fast," Mr. Carter waved the spatula one last time and set it down on the counter beside the sink. Bracing his arms out he gazed out the window over the sink, staring at the sunset, wishing he could have shared this time with his daughter.  
  
"Dad, um-would it be alright if we hung out here instead? Rowan brought the blueberries and I'm pretty sure we have the rest of the ingredients," Mary Lynette, Rowan, Kestrel, Jade, and a very surly Ash filed into the Carter kitchen.  
  
"Um, sure kiddo-I mean Mary Lynette. Just give me a minute and I'll go throw on some jeans," Mr. Carter left the kitchen to the teens.  
  
Mary Lynette withdrew a colander out of the cabinet containing the Tupperware and filled it with fresh blueberries. Rinsing and drying them, she poured the clean berries into a bowl and set them aside. Kestrel was sitting at the table, arm propped under her chin, and a face of annoyance and boredom openly portrayed her feelings about the making of muffins.  
  
"Remind me why we are doing this again?" Ash rubbed his eyes, he might be in love, but he was still tired and a little light-headed-no blood did that to a guy, especially a vampire.  
  
"Wasn't it you who said we should do something to help others, well, here you go," Mary Lynette pecked a kiss on his lips.  
  
"You should brush your teeth love," Ash smiled, awakening somewhat. He was reclined against the brick wall that expanded along one side of the long kitchen. His hair was hanging in his eyes and his shirt was askew across his broad shoulders, he looked like a cross between Hyperion and James Dean, and worse, he knew it.  
  
"Thanks, you should take an ad out in the paper, you are now short by one girlfriend," Mary Lynette poked him in the ribs.  
  
"Tell me that later when my tongue-" Ash started to retort.  
  
"Excuse me, so sorry to have intruded but my tongue is eager for the taste of blueberries, what about you?" Mr. Carter's face was currently similar to a glacier, frozen and chipped.  
  
"Nothing, ahem, Mary Lynette need any help?" He was completely standing up now and crossed the room to participate actively in the making of a snack he wasn't even hungry for.  
  
* * * "Don't you feel better having done such a good thing for such sick people," Mary Lynette shrugged up against Ash's arm, the one that carried the empty muffin basket. It was cold tonight and the air in front of them pooled in the smoky lifts of steam as their breath soared out into the open dark.  
  
"I suppose if you are in for that sort of thing, but me, I'm more naughty by nature if you know what I mean and I hope you do," he pushed his shoulder against her and grinned a sharp toothed smile, "You know that you can't resist a vampire once he's set his mind on a goal. I wanted you Mary Lynette, now I have you my pretty and I'm not letting you go. Well, I will have to let you go so that you can go to the bathroom and stuff, but most of the rest of the time, you and I," he motioned between them with a gloved finger, "inseparable."  
  
"You are so full of it," she laughed.  
  
"Actually luv, I'm running damn near empty, plan to donate blood to a worthy cause? The perks are outstanding," Ash insinuated.  
  
"Okay, but not too much," she leaned her head back, baring her pale neck to the moonlight. Her hair tumbled behind her, a wave of shimmering strands. 


	7. A Winter's Kiss

Author's Notes: Thanks for keeping up with this story, I know it sorely lacks excitement but I've enjoyed fooling around with it! Thanks for all of the reviews!  
  
The steamy breath wisping along the side of her slender neck made Mary Lynette somewhat giddy. That and his hand sliding under her heavy cardigan. Weakly she swatted his arm but abandoned any further protest, it was hard to stop a vampire set on seduction. Oh, and it made her feel good. The feeling of doing something naughty was new to Mary Lynette but she surmised it was nothing new to the jaded Ash clutching at her greedily. She smiled to herself.  
  
She leaned in closer to him moving her bare hand to reach his shoulder, halfway there his own hand intercepted and laced his fingers with hers, gloved and naked. She should be feeling somewhat vulnerable about this whole thing, but she didn't. Ash might be some creepy creature of the night that she had been warned about in bedtime stories, but this roguish vampire would never harm her. It was funny what love could do to even the most tainted of people. Perhaps she was a tad light headed, who wouldn't be around a suave and utterly gorgeous vampire, but Ash was there to balance her.  
  
"Remember, don't do anything dumb like bracing yourself. It won't hurt, remember the last time? Just stay calm," Ash grinned against her nape, his fangs grated at her fragile skin. And then-penetration.  
  
It didn't hurt exactly, it was in a word-ecstasy.  
  
The cloud of delight that enveloped them both was a spiral of color, a wave of emotion that they rode together into total unity. As in touch with one another as they weren't with the world progressing around them they only distantly were aware of the person approaching until-  
  
"Shouldn't you kids be saving that sort of behavior for, well," the older woman began. She was small of stature, barely reaching Mary Lynette's chest if she were to stand up straight. As it was she was stooped and weathered of face there was no way she could have seen precisely what she and Ash had been doing. Mary Lynette released a sigh of relief.  
  
The old woman opened her mouth to continue but her tirade was halted by an intense moan from deep within Ash's throat. Mary Lynette could feel still that he was groggy from that, that.well, whatever it was, but the fresh blood and acute frustration were taking over his senses. Gently he pulled himself away, as if afraid to injure her and placed a delicate kiss where he had bitten her. Maneuvering the somewhat weakened Mary Lynette behind him, Ash set out to get rid of the meddlesome old lady who obviously had so little in her life to do or think about that she was critiquing others for enjoying theirs. In Ash's opinion this was truly sad, and he made to demonstrate his view.  
  
"Listen, my girl and I went down to Motel 6, you know, the one off of exit 24B. But they wouldn't rent us a room on account of the last time we stayed there we left used needles and codoms all over the place. This is America for Chrissake! Shouldn't a guy be allowed to come and go as he pleases!? I tried to reason with the manager, but that is another story entirely. Anyways I went to the guy at the desk, this fat guy with like ten chins and a muscle shirt, but all he did was stare at my girl's, Ginger's, chest which ever since the surgery has been quite ample, let me tell ya," he winked at the woman's distraught expression, threw a gamine smile over his shoulder, and continued, " So after I beat him to a ruddy pulp for fu-pardon me ma'am, I mean, his unwanted attention-the cops showed up and threw us off the property. It took us about an hour to find this place, outta the way and convenient and then you how up! Here we were, minding our own business, and just getting to the good part and you had to ruin it all. I think you should be the one ashamed! So if you've a problem with Ginger and me doing what God intended tell someone who cares because I am feeling really horny and unless you want to fix my problem yourself, leave me and Ginger alone," Ash grinned.  
  
"Oh, oh, my," the old lady moved forward, hit Ash with her purse and stormed off down the darkened street with a shrieking, "Well, I never!"  
  
"That went well," Ash started laughing at his own story.  
  
"That was really immature! Ginger? Was that really necessary? This is a small neighborhood, you know that. I probably know her. Who knows what she'll do, she might very well go home and tell my dad and then where will we be!? I might not be able to see you again. You can be such a pain sometimes," Mary Lynette rolled her eyes in frustration and started walking back home.  
  
"No need to nag, what are you my mom? But what can I say? I'm a high maintenance kinda guy! And what may I ask is wrong with the name Ginger? I think that name is kinda sassy, trassy, and downright sexy," his voice dripped with insinuation.  
  
"You would," she sneered, her warm breath mingling in a cloud of smoke with the misty and cold night air.  
  
"How about you come here, we both forget about that little intrusion, we get a little horny, I give you a hickey, and we take you home to rest? I'm sure you must be tired. Did I take too much?" his eyes were sensual but caring.  
  
"No, I don't think so, but your little concerned act isn't going to bail you out this time," Mary Lynette called back, she was at least half a block a way.  
  
"Thanks, this really isn't an act," Ash began but she was too far away to hear.  
  
He caught up to her quickly and tugged at her loosened scarf. She stopped and turned to face his silhouetted face in the moonlight.  
  
"Do you really like my breasts?" Coyly she batted her eyelashes.  
  
"Course I do Ginger, never doubt it," Ash leaned forward to brush his lips across hers.  
  
"Good then, you can carry this," and she shoved the forgotten basket in front of his face.  
  
Vaguely distracted he pushed the wicker container aside and made to further their contact.  
  
"I do love your breasts, but they're a little bit too soft. You know, you're reasoning for giving me the basket, well, you are just not adding up- ," Ash argued but she planted a kiss on his open mouth.  
  
"Shut up you big lug," Mary Lynette tugged at his shirtfront from where it was exposed between the open lapels of his jacket.  
  
Ash smiled against her lips. He loved a tough woman, but even more one who kept him on his toes. 


	8. Bug Boy

Author's note: Thanks for the two reviews! This chapter starts to develop a serious plot, hope you enjoy it!  
  
"Well, I guess this is goodnight then," Mary Lynette self-consciously pushed a tendril of hair behind her ear. The couple was on her doorstep, inches apart from each other.  
  
"Don't go all first date on me last minute Ginger," Ash teased, "it's not like we weren't just kissing ten minutes ago. Hey, look at that," he pointed to a bug swarming madly around the Carter's porch light.  
  
"Pretty amazing that some bug could be stupid enough to stick around this long when it is so cold outside. I thought that insects died out or went into hibernation during the winter," Mary Lynette leaned her head to the side trying to recall all she knew about the subject.  
  
"Yeah, but I can understand where he's coming from. Some guys, like bugs, are stubborn enough to enjoy life as much as possible, even if that means risking it. I should know," Ash grinned.  
  
"Well, you better enjoy me as much as you can over the next week, winter vacation ends at the start of next month. I guess you could always come and visit me-"Mary Lynette started but was interrupted by the ringing of Ash's cell phone. He pulled out the buzzing phone and flipped the cover off. Pushing the "on" button he put it to his ear and smiled down at his soulmate.  
  
"Hello, hello, who is this? Oh, hi. What are you guys thinking, calling me so late?" Ash scowled, "Oh, I'm with Mary Lynette, yes! She is my soulmate, that one. Okay, okay drop it already! You want to talk to her," Ash handed the phone to a very confused Mary Lynette.  
  
"Set it for speaker phone," he whispered to her.  
  
The silence of the December night was marred by the cacophony of voices on the other end of the line. Ash leaned over her shoulder to shout into the receiver, "Okay you guys are on speaker."  
  
"Hey Mary Lynette, this is Thea Harman," a friendly voice called out, "and this is my soulmate, Eric. Eric say hi to Mary Lynette."  
  
"Hi," another voice said, less vibrant than the first but still warm in tone.  
  
"So, has the old bloodsucker been treating you well? If not, call me and I'll beat him up for you. My name's James, I'm a cousin of his and I know he can be a-" James's offer was interrupted by Ash who said quite simply, "Shut up or die, Rasmussen!"  
  
"Oh, don't mind them Mary Lynette. They just don't know when to give it up, do you Ash?" a new voice chided.  
  
"Poppy, it's wonderful to hear your cheery voice once again," Ash caustically replied.  
  
"What Poppy means to say is punch the creep in the stomach if you want to end his bickering. I'm Quinn. You might remember me. I was the one who wanted to bring Ash and his sisters back that past summer. I also happen to be the one who decided to call you, Ash, trouble is coming," the young man's voice on the other end started off sarcastically but ended on a chill.  
  
"Have you talked with Mary Lynette and your sisters about the Millennium?" a stern man bit out.  
  
"Well, I ment to ASAP, really I did. Things just started happening and I haven't found time, and-" Ash became awkward in his usually flawless speech.  
  
"Ass-I mean, Ash you know better than to lay on that lame excuse! You know how important this whole ordeal is!" the voice of a boy, who sounded like that Quinn-guy, scolded Ash.  
  
"Mary Lynette? Hi, this is Hannah, Hannah Snow. I can't wait to meet you, whenever Ash decides is the appropriate time to bring you out here, we'll have to talk-you must be quite an interesting person to be soulmates with Ash," Hannah was gentle in tone, "Ash, you need to update her on what is happening. When you do so, call us back and we'll book you a flight to Las Vegas," even though Hannah's voice held authority it was soft, like the reminder of a concerned mother.  
  
"Ash, that means now. In other words, call me tomorrow," this voice was sterner than any of the preceding ones.  
  
"But Theirry it already is morning here, 2:oo AM in fact," Ash teased.  
  
"I mean it Ash, I love good humor as much as you, but this is a serious matter. Tomorrow, got it? Oh, and Mary Lynette, I hope to meet you soon," the voice ended and a dial tone sounded.  
  
"Crannnnky! Well, I guess that means I have a lot of explaining to do. Tell you what, why don't I pick you up tomorrow, say 12:3o-ish, you must be tired after tonight. I'll take you out to lunch and explain everything that is going on," Ash kissed her on the forehead after having placed the phone back in his pocket.  
  
"Why don't you just tell me tonight?"  
  
"Why? Because you just lost a considerable amount of blood and I'm sure you are tired. What I have to say can wait at least until tomorrow afternoon. Trust me," he pecked a kiss on her lips and jumped down the porch steps.  
  
Mary Lynette watched him walk away into the chilly night. Fancifully she blew him a kiss and turned herself toward her front door.  
  
* * * "Morning Dad," Mary Lynette sat down at the breakfast table where a pile of pancakes lay stacked in the center. She grabbed a plate, fork, and speared herself a pancake. She was just slathering on butter when-  
  
"Mary Lynette, where were you last night? I thought that we had decided on an 11:oo curfew. I checked the clock when you finally came in last night and it was nearly 2:15! Do you think this sort of behavior is acceptable?" Mr. Carter began his face twisted up in fury.  
  
Normally her father was calm in nature and demeanor, but the man standing before Mary Lynette all but spewed fire out of his nostrils.  
  
"You had your stepmother and I terribly worried, you could have been kidnapped, lost, or raped! I-" Mr. Carter continued, but he was interrupted by an indignant daughter.  
  
"But I wasn't! I was with Ash. I told you I was going this morning and all you had to do was ask Mark where I was because he had been there too, he just left before Ash and I did! We weren't even out that late; we just stood out on the front porch for a while. If you had wanted to know where I was you should have looked out of your window," Angrily Mary Lynette cut a corner of her pancake and shoved it into her sullen mouth.  
  
"Ash?! That boy again?! Fine, you just won't be seeing him for a while if this is the way you are going to act around him," her father raged, "Today you can clean out the shed and when you have accomplished this task report to me and I'll give you another chore!"  
  
"But-" Mary Lynette started.  
  
"Not a word! This is a punishment for your obvious disregard for curfew and respect for your parents! If you do this well enough maybe I'll withdraw your punishment, but until you do, get going!" Mr. Carter slammed down his fork and started reading the paper once more.  
  
Mary Lynette stormed out of the room a maelstrom of vehemence.  
  
* * * She must have been cleaning for over three hours by now. Sweat rolled down her back despite the cold temperatures outside, her thumbs were bruised and blistered, and-and-things couldn't possibly get worse! Gloomily she plucked another cobweb from her snarled hair and set back to cleaning out the lawn mower. Why would anyone need a spotless lawn mower in the winter she wondered.  
  
Mary Lynette was so ensconced in her mission that she didn't notice Ash until it was too late.  
  
"Hello gorgeous," Ash gripped her hips from behind and whispered sensually in her ear.  
  
"Ash not now," she protested, "I have a lot to do today, my dad got mad after last night."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"Well, he didn't exactly take well to the idea of me staying out late at night with some guy he hardly knows. I can't blame him on that account but I happen to be in college now and I don't necessarily need my father telling me how to live my life! If I want to stay out-" Mary Lynette squinted her eyes and wrung her hands if irritation.  
  
"Whoa, whoa, someone's on the warpath! Listen, it's not that big of a deal, I'll just come by tomorrow and talk to your dad. Maybe tomorrow he won't be so upset. Then we can get to this whole Millennium business, okay?" Ash questioned but didn't wait for a reply, "Plus it's kinda romantic, Romeo and Juliet in nature huh?"  
  
"Get outta here!" Mary Lynette laughed, swatting at a grinning Ash.  
  
"Yes fair lady, until we meet again, adieu-adieu!" he waved himself out with a flourish of movement.  
  
* * * Her father had checked in on her just a few minutes ago to provide another round of argument. Mary Lynette only hoped Ash was right and that tempers would cool with time, but for now things weren't looking to bright.  
  
Arms wrapped around her shoulders moving down to grip her forearms. Once again Ash had snuck up in vampire fashion, she could only wonder what he wanted this time. Mary Lynette tried to turn to face her soulmate. But she couldn't!  
  
"Ash, what are you doing? Let me go," she struggled, "Come on, let me go! It's not funny any more! Hey, I said let me go!" This time he released her.  
  
But the face staring back at her wasn't the suave soulmate she had been expecting.  
  
She screamed.  
  
And fainted.  
  
"I'm not Ash darling, but you could call me family. Just call me Hunter, but not now, we don't want to upset anyone," merciless eyes added to her fear.  
  
Ash. 


End file.
